


Mystery-Toe

by kirana



Series: Supah Sekrit Christmas in July [4]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Christmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-25
Updated: 2006-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-21 03:51:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1536491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirana/pseuds/kirana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Secrets and lies, Clark can handle. But misunderstandings, he's not so good with them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mystery-Toe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yavannauk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yavannauk/gifts).



        It was a parasitic plant with white berries and evergreen leaves. Birds generally spread its seeds around for it and humans use it as an excuse to pucker up.

        The problem was, those were all the _obvious_ answers. Lex _never_ meant anything obvious.

        Not that he was _supposed_ to know about it. Lex had given no indication of even noticing the rapidly approaching holidays, despite the off-key carols Clark had made sure to sing as loudly as he could whenever he visited Castle Luthor.

        But it was there, tucked away on Lex's bedside table. Clark wasn't up to snuff on how it was able to survive without a tree or something, but he guessed it had something to do with Lex and his unwillingness to take no for an answer. The only thing he _did_ know for sure was that it was a gift for him; the tag tied to the pot had his name on it.

        Not that he was sneaking around in Lex's room or anything, because that would be a Bad Thing. X-ray vision, however, _was_ incredibly useful. Not that he'd been _looking_ for Lex's Christmas gift for him when he'd found it.

        Clark stopped his online research into the uses and mythology of mistletoe for the time it took for his face to stop flaming. He didn't understand how he could use his powers for some definitely unauthorised Lex-watching without blushing and yet go totally red when he thought about it _after the fact_. His father would probably say his morals had been compromised through prolonged exposure to a Luthor, but Clark thought maybe it was something more along the lines of, in general, being horny.

        Although, really, _that_ was totally something he could blame on Lex. Until Lex had run him off that bridge, Clark hadn't had the faintest inkling a person could _feel_ so much without the objection of their ere—affections even _touching_ them. Not that Lex didn't touch Clark—in fact, Clark had figured his friend had touched him more than everyone else in Smallville combined—but, sadly, said touching had been limited to shoulder pats and infrequent hugs. But even such brotherly contact had been enough for him to set aside what had all too obviously been a crush on Lana—with a requisite moment of sadness—before diving headlong into the rush of Lex-watching.

        He shook his head sharply. Yet another thing he could lay at Lex's door; the thought of Lex-skin was enough to distract him and derail any and all other thoughts.

        Mistletoe. Right. Symbolic meanings and uses thereof, and the more obscure, the better.

        Druids thought it was an antidote to poison, although the berries could give someone a rash. Yeah, _that_ was romantic.

        It was also apparently something along the lines of the meteor rock for Norse deities, although tears from those self-same deities could apparently neutralise it. Now, _that_ was a power he wouldn't mind having.

        Okay the vampiric correlations were something he could do without. Sure, he _knew_ it was a parasite—'scuse him, a _partial_ parasite—but imagining little fangs on the berries was, well, most likely something that could actually happen in Smallville. No thanks, please.

        He paused his reading and made a note to discreetly check the plant's soil of whatever it was in for the presence of meteor rock. He didn't really _need_ a gift from Lex to start trying to chew on him.

        Oh, hey, back to the Norse gods again. Coming back to life = great joy = kissing everyone who walked under the deity-deadly plant? He tried hard, but he couldn't quite make the connection. He noted it down for further study anyway; the less he understood something increased the likelihood of _that_ being whatever Lex tried to get across to him.

        Yeah, _this_ was more his kind of tradition! Mistletoe may have been used in fertility rituals. His eyes glazed over at the thought. Fertility was _not_ going to be a problem, which meant it made a _wonderful_ excuse to have sex.

        And then he frowned. Maybe he _did_ have to worry about fertility. it wasn't as if his birth parents had sent along any _useful_ information with him. Just the _thought_ of having babies was a thought he could have lived his whole life not having and he bet he would've been happier, as well.

        He opened another page in an effort to get away from such thoughts, but his eyes were caught by a paragraph describing just _how_ mistletoe could be likened unto having sex. He shifted uncomfortably and hastily moved the screen past that.

        Blah, blah, more about fertility and . . . hey, that was good. The symbolism of mistletoe representing the tree's lifeforce in winter with its evergreen leaves.

        Mistletoe was still considered a banned plant by the Church. And yet it was associated with Christmas? Ah, chalk it up to the combining of pagan winter festivals and Christian holy days.

        Cool. Apparently, every time two people kissed under the mistletoe, they were supposed to remove a berry. presumably, it wasn't as lucky or as . . . fertile without the berries.

        It _used_ to be the state flower of Oklahoma, but that was much too recent for it to have any bearing on whatever it was ex meant.

        Parts of it _were_ edible, despite its reputation as poisonous. He'd pass on the mistletoe tea, regardless. Good for hypertension. And maybe even cancer?

        Clark nodded, impressed. truly, the mistletoe had a long and varied history. Unfortunately, that history didn't really help him in figuring out just what Lex wanted to tell him.

        Except for maybe the Greek mythology. But it seemed kinda sketchy to him that scholars assumed the "Golden Bough" was mistletoe. As an article of mythology, mistletoe lacked a little in the golden department.

        Besides, he didn't see how the story of Aeneas visiting his dead father for advice was relevant to him and Lex. Unless Lex was talking about Lana and her penchant to talking to dead parents, but, even so, Clark couldn't see what Lex would want him to take from that tale. It was good to listen to women with multiple personalities? One could see dead people if only one could find golden greenery? Doves are living diviners of treasure?

        Yeah. On the whole, not very helpful.

        Honestly, the use of mistletoe as a symbol of peace seemed to be the mot likely candidate, and it wasn't had for him to guess why.

        His powers. That is, his powers and the way he went about protecting them, ie, by lying. Maybe Lex was trying to give him one last chance to come clean, under a flag—sprig—of truce.

        And if that _was_ the case, he was going to have to seriously rethink his gift. A piece of Celtic knotwork, while definitely complicated and suitably Lex-like, didn't quite measure up against a Lex and his devious, insidious search for the deeper meaning.

***

        Clark was a mess by the time Christmas actually arrived. The constant worrying about Lex, the mistletoe, and his secrets, thankfully, couldn't give his invulnerable stomach ulcers. He figured it was a close thing anyway. And even with all the thinking he had done, he _still_ didn't know which gift he was going to give Lex.

        In accordance with past actions, he decided to see what Lex would do and then make his decision. That method may not have worked _perfectly_ in the past, but he was confident it would bear fruit today.

        "Clark, you _do_ know you don't have to knock, right?" Lex said, leaning against the door to his office, which he had somehow opened without Clark seeing or, indeed, hearing anything.

        Which was either a good trick or meant, once again, Clark had not been paying sufficient attention to what was happening around him. Chloe had taken him aside a few months ago and had yelled at him for not noticing things _right under his nose_. Like how Lex looked at him. He hadn't exactly been able to let her know that, _yes_ , he knew how Lex looked at him and, _furthermore_ , he kinda wanted to look at Lex the exact same way. Except he couldn't because he, Clark, was not Lex and thus, fully incapable of sultry looks of longing without blushing a bright red to put Rudolph to shame.

        "Clark? Clark, are you all right?"

        Clark refocused on the present with another start to find Lex staring at him with concern. "Huh?" he said intelligently.

        Lex smiled at him, worry still in his eyes. "Yeah, that's what I'd like to know. You just kinda . . . stood there for a moment. What was that about?"

        Clark _felt_ the blush start and hastily pushed past Lex into the office beyond. "Nothing!" he said quickly, and winced. Yeah, what an _honest_ start to the day. Not that he'd decided to tell Lex the truth yet. "Just thinking about something Chloe said to me," he amended.

        "It's a good time of the year to do some thinking," Lex acknowledged. "The new year _is_ just around the corner. So, what do you think?" he continued quickly, gesturing at the transformed office.

        Clark nodded approvingly at the Christmas decorations now sharing space with the office's usual decor. "Do it all yourself?" he asked. The style just _looked_ like Lex, even down to the tastefully decorated tree by the desk. Not that Clark was very interested in interior decorating.

        Lex lifted his nose high. "Of _course_ it is," he said loftily. "Would I dare to get someone else to do it after your highly inspiring speech?"

        Clark winced and grinned. "Yeah, sorry about that," he offered. "I guess I have some strong opinions about it."

        Lex clapped him on the shoulder. "It's all right," his friend said firmly. "It _was_ inspirational. So," with another quick subject change, "what do you want to do first? Watch a movie, snacks . . . . Presents?"

        Clark narrowed his eyes. "You know, in spite of _your_ misconceptions, I am _not_ three years old. Presents come second to spending time with my best friend."

        Lex's whole face softened and they shared what Clark tentatively called a 'moment'. He thought it was a very nice moment.

        Lex shook it off first. "Ditto," he said, "but if you can open presents _while_ spending time with that friend, there's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

        Clark grinned at Lex. "Nope, guess not," he said cheerfully. He waggled the present in his hand. "Dow do you want to do this?"

        Lex considered it for a moment. "I'll give you your present first," he decreed and then, with a sidelong glance at Clark, added, "Maybe you can show me the proper way to open a Christmas gift."

        Clark rolled his eyes and pushed at Lex's shoulder gently. "Ha, ha, see if I ever offer _you_ holiday decorating tips again," he complained. He blinked at the small box Lex handed him. _That_ certainly wasn't big enough to hold the mistletoe plant he'd seen. He tried to look around without looking like he was looking around, but Lex's slightly narrowed eyes told him he wasn't fooling anyone.

        He gulped and reached for the bow. It was decision time, now-or-never time, do-or-die time, and if he didn't stop it with the life-and-death metaphors, he was going to kill _himself_.

        Decision: Tell Lex the secret he'd been after practically from Day One of try to fumble for another symbolic meaning for mistletoe? Option one—tell all—had the decided advantage of not having to come up with dumb lies to tell Lex. Option two—play dumb—meant he didn't have to worry about Lex hating him (yet) for lying to him practically day in and day out.

        Major disadvantage to telling: Alien dissection. He didn't think if would be very fun or, even, necessarily, Lex's fault. But a secret shared was no longer a secret.

        Major disadvantage to option two: No nookie. Not that he was getting any _now_ , but building a friendship on lies was one thing. _Dating_ should be done with honesty.

        And that, really, kinda made his decision for him.

        He kept his hand on top of the gift and turned a serious look on Lex. "Lex," he said slowly, "there's something I need to tell you."

        Lex raised an eyebrow. "If you try to tell me your family doesn't celebrateChristmas, all me to remind you your mother has already shown me photo albums of Christmases past."

        Clark grinned briefly, but refused to let Lex sidetrack him. "I'm serious, Lex. In the spirit of this gift . . . ." He took a deep breath. "Lex, I'm an alien. I came to Earth in the meteor shower. I don't know why I'm here or who my birth parents are. My spaceship's in the storm cellar, but we think it's broken or something because it doesn't do anything. My parents never told me I was an alien until you ran me off that bridge and it didn't even _hurt_. I mean, I already knew I wasn't like everyone else with the speed and the strength, but I thought it was, y'know, natural." He gave a short laugh. "I guess it _is_ in a way, but I thought it was _human_ natural. And then all of these meteor mutants started coming out of the woodwork and _more_ powers started showing up. And I found out the reason I always trip on nothing around Lana is more because of her meteor rock necklace than because of anything I feel for her. Oh, and I know you'll think this is strange, but I didn't _know_ before that meteor rock is just about the only thing that can hurt me. And that's odd because _of course_ it's scattered across the length and breadth of Smallville and—" He finally noticed Lex's pole-axed expression and abruptly shut his mouth. Then, hesitantly, "Lex? Are you okay? I mean, I thought you were giving me mistletoe because of some symbolic meaning and everything and, and . . . ."

        "What," Lex said carefully, "did you think I meant by it?"

        "I-I thought you meant it as a truce," Clark stammered. "You . . . didn't? Did you?" His tone was hopeful, although the expression dawning on his face said he was anything but.

        Lex shook his head and took the still unopened box from Clark's unresisting hand. He opened it and drew out the sprig of mistletoe. He looked at it, at Clark, then shrugged and leaned forward.

        Clark watched the mistletoe head for him and then _over_ him. He looked back towards Lex just in time to see Lex's face _real_ close up just before he felt the gentle pressure of his best friend's lips brushing against his.

        Lex, of course, retreated after the briefest of moments. Clark lifted his fingers to his lips, half-wondering if it had even happened at all. But, no, Lex wouldn't make such a big production out of pretending it actually _hadn't happened_ , so that meant it _had_ and _that_ meant—

        That was where Clark's brain broke down. "Wow," he said softly. "Just . . . wow."

        Lex finally looked at him again, a relieved smile on his face. "Wow?" he teased. "Just wow?"

        Clark let loose a huge grin. "Wow times ten?" he tried. "Wow times everything I wanted for Christmas? For, like, two years?"

        "Two years?" Lex asked, surprised. "Really?"

        Clark laughed and nodded. "Two years," he confirmed. "And two more before I was going to do anything."

        "Two?" Lex was dismayed. " _Why_?"

        Clark raised an eyebrow, but Lex's nearly naked expression of loss wasn't nearly enough to quell the happiness he felt. "yeah, 'cause then I would be as legal as Kansas gets," he replied.

        Lex frowned. "But you're sixteen now," he protested. "That's legal, isn't it?"

        Clark raised two fingers. "One," he said, "homosexuality in Kansas equals enormous prejudice against, both legal and not. Two, sweet sixteen _is_ legal, _unless_ one of the parties involved is six years or older." He coughed into his hand. "Twenty-two!"

        "Really?" Then Lex tossed the mistletoe at him and mock-scowled. "Excuse me for being young at heart," he huffed.

        Clark laughed again and, before he knew it, he'd pulled Lex closer to him.

        Now staring straight into each other's eyes, both of their breaths were caught in their throats. He didn't know who initiated their second kiss, but he wasn't going to quibble over who started what with the superbly handsome and wonderfully sexy Lex Luthor in front of him. _Kissing_ him.

        Yeah, two year's worth of Christmas magic was manifesting right in front of him and he wasn't going to waste it. Later, there'd be talk about aliens and secrets—especially because Lex _hadn't_ meant the mistletoe as a symbol of truce—but that was _later_ and there was a lot to be said for enjoying the moment.


End file.
